1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in order that CE (Consumer Electronics) devices such as a TV (TeleVision) meet increasingly complex operation by a user (also referred to as “operator”), there has been an attempt to provide the TV with a GUI (Graphical User Interface) and an operation input device of a free cursor-type, which a PC (Personal Computer) is generally provided with. The increasingly complex operation by a user is mainly attributed to that new functions are added to the CE device and that the CE device is connected to a network and can acquire various pieces of information via the network, for example.
There are developed various operation input devices, and examples thereof include a mouse and a touch pad. Further, in the case where the operation input devices such as the mouse and the touch pad are to be used, the following circumstances occur: it takes a long time to master the usage the devices and it is difficult, in particular, for the children, the elderly, and the like to adapt to the mouse and the touch pad. From such circumstances, there is suggested an operation input device which operation can be input to by spatial operation of a user moving his/her hand on a space.
As an operation input device capable of inputting operation by spatial operation, there is particularly suggested a hand gesture interface which associates coordinates of a specific position of the user's hand with coordinates of a cursor displayed on a screen by using a camera. Further, as an operation input device capable of inputting operation by spatial operation, there is suggested a controller using an image sensor.
In the case where the operation input device capable of inputting operation by spatial operation as described above is used, the user can perform a pointing operation using absolute coordinates, and, since a position designated by the user is directly associated with a position of a pointer on the screen, there are advantages that the operation is intuitive and easily understandable. On the other hand, however, since the motion of the user's operation is precisely reproduced, user's unintended operation is input to the operation input device without being distinguished from user's intended operation, and in particular, it is difficult to input a detailed operation.
In the case of using a difference of coordinates per predetermined time of an operating tool photographed by a camera (velocity value of the operating tool), there can be established a coordinate system (hereinafter, also referred to as “relative coordinates system”) in which usability for the user is enhanced. That is, in the same manner as in the case of using a general mouse, it becomes possible to perform pointing operation to a fine object by velocity gain control, and it becomes possible to perform effective noise reduction by nonlinear processing. For example, WO2009/069531 discloses the technique which enables the pointing operation to a fine object by velocity gain control.